Actually, it is possible not to have them. This is the first year I have seen them here since I got horses here. That's about 5 or 6 years now. Where I was previously, we had them every year, some worse than others.

I still don't buy the motor oil solution. Ok, it might work -- probably does actually, but I am not putting poison on my horse when there are other options. I don't want the horse to eat it, nor do I want it in my fields.

I don't get them every year either. I think I must be at the northern edge of their range. It was really mild last winter so I'm watching for them. I've only spotted eggs 3 times since moving up here from LI, NY. In NY I would get them without fail.
I still worm for them every fall. Yucky gross things.

Are the eggs/larva immune to fly spray? Would fly spraying the eggs kill them?

Obviously I will remove all I can but sometimes you miss a few because they are tiny and scattered. I always wondered if the fly spray would halt them from hatching or getting into the horse?

I am thinking of trying the pumice stone idea. I JUST noticed bot eggs for the first time yesterday on one of my horses (the dark one of course). I HATE trying to find those little eggs on my gray mare. They are really hard to see because of her light color.

Actually, it is possible not to have them. This is the first year I have seen them here since I got horses here. That's about 5 or 6 years now. Where I was previously, we had them every year, some worse than others.
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Yeah but you are way up north. The person I was responding to is down here in Kentucky. I swear bots are our state bird.

All I pay my psychiatrist is cost of feed and hay, and he'll listen to me any day!

If it wasn't for the chemist at the last place I worked, I would not know this. Motor oil is mineral oil with a color additive to give it the yellowish/golden tent. I can't discuss why I know this, but that is what we found out. so technically using motor oil (unused) is no different than when you have to tube and oil your horse if it is colicing. Just FYI. At least the oil that is not synthetic is.Posted via Mobile Device

Yeah but you are way up north. The person I was responding to is down here in Kentucky. I swear bots are our state bird.

Well, I may be "way up north" but it doesn't have much to do with that. I don't live in a igloo (yet!) Places just a couple of hours away from here will have bots regularly, while I and my neighbours don't. Latitude doesn't play a huge role in it, IMO. Unless we are comparing equatorial locations to north of the tropic of capricorn (or south of cancer I guess also). Bots can survive winters easily.

Why the engine oil works is it stops the bots from laying eggs on the horse's front legs. The bot bites the horse at the time it deposits the eggs. Horse tries to grab at the bot, bingo, it's ingested the eggs. Those you are seeing on the horse's legs are the ones he's missed. Those do not migrate thro the skin. Their life cycle is to get into the horse's cheeks inside his mouth then gradually work their way to the esophagus where their path of destruction continues.

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